ranted by the forms of life; to wear fordid apparel, to walk with downcaft eyes, or tread with timidity and hesitation like a flave in the presence of a tyrant? None ever fuppofed it, but fuch as miftook fuperftition for religion; and none ever said it, but those who were either ftrangers or enemies to the laft.

Becaufe vifionaries and bigots, of one church or another, have defaced the fair form of Chriftianity in general, or diftorted this particular feature of it, is the original inftitution to blame? Did either Christ, or his Apostles, practife or inculcate, under the notion of Humility, any thing degrading or unmanly? Did they not all affert themselves with great fpirit on great occafions?When I fpeak of the Apofties here, I think of their dignified behaviour after their Mafter's exaltation. Did they not obtain, from the ferious and the upright, the profoundeft reverence? Did they not alfo enforce thofe affections, and that

demeanour, which will never fail to pleafe the better part of mankind? Did not St. Peter exhort the believers to whom he wrote, to "have their converfation re"fpectable among the Gentiles ?" And did not St. Paul prefs, as you formerly heard, the study of "whatsoever things "were lovely, venerable, and worthy of "praife?"As to our Saviour himself, did not he caution his difciples against disfiguring their faces like the Pharifees, and enjoin them to anoint their heads with oil, agreeably to the cuftom of the Eaft in thofe times; that, when they fafted, they might not appear oftentatious of their fanctity?

With regard to the fingular character and manner of the Baptift, it should be remembered, that they were adapted to the fingularity of his fituation and office: but, though his own life was fequeftered and auftere, he was far from recommending it to the imitation of others; and at the fame

inftant that he called men to repentance, he fent them back, as was lately observed, to their feveral occupations in fociety, with a direction to behave well in each.

And let it not be forgotten, that while He who came after him, carried on in the open world the fame charitable defign, with a more alluring addrefs, with fuch eafe and affability, fuch fweetnefs and freedom, as well became the friend and brother of men, joining to all the rest the humbleft offices of kindnefs,-ftill he failed not to maintain an elevation and majefty, that were the very reverfe of pufillanimous or mean.

The Humility taught and exemplified in the New Teftament, is too amiable, and too unaffected, to prefcribe the laborious ceremonies, or unnatural rigours, of the cloifter. It requires no man to put on a shirt of hair, to pine amidst the bounties of Heaven, to tear his flesh with

whips, or cripple himself with going barefoot feverities indeed, which, forinidable

as they feem, are yet perfectly confiftent with the spirit of vain-glory, and frequently fubfervient to the folemn impoftures of a fanctimonious Pride. Such practices belong, at beft, to that "vo"luntary Humility," which the wife and manly Apoftle, we have fo often quoted in thefe Addreffes, was far from approving. Undiffembled lowlinefs in a well-taught believer is quite another thing. To define it in one fentence, it is fobriety of mind, and modefty of deportment, proceeding from a lively fenfe of his frailty and mortality, of his trials and temptations, of his promptnefs to err and go aftray, of his many actual mistakes and deviations, and of his total infufficiency for his own fecurity and happiness ;—from a lively fense of all the fe, united with an habitual impreffion of what he owes first to his Creator, Saviour, and Judge, before whom he bends with the devouteft gratitude, and

the deepest fubmiffion, and, next to thofe who fhare the fame nature with himself, of whom he has reafon to believe there are few or none, who have not fome advantage over him.

Let us now fuppofe that a Young Man has learned to think and feel in this manner. Will he find himself under any neceffity of ftudying to appear humble, of practising grimace to conceal hypocrify, of doing or faying filly things, that he may not be charged with Pride? Surely not. Let us fee then what Effects a temper regulated by fuch fentiments, will produce on his behaviour in fome of the leading circumstances of life.

Imagine, for example, that he is unavoidably called upon to speak of his own character, of his probity, his humanity, or his good intentions: how will he acquit himself? It is a critical fituation. He will speak with freedom, with firm